c Amb. n. 37. de Virgin Tull. Epist 69. Aug. Cont. Jul. l. 3. c. 13. Libri non erub sâ—unt your black Comment cannot blush Yet St. Austin said of Julian a Pâ—lagian for asserting an heresie lesse dangerous then yours Puto ipsum libri tui atramentum erubescendo convertitur in minium CHAP. VIII Sheweth against this Commenter that mens soules dye not with their bodies I Must not omit your rare doctrine concerning the soules of dead men You tell us that they are void of all sense of time intervening between the time of our p. 228. 267. death and resurrection though Scriptures speak as if we should wholly live till Christs coming but 't is because thousands of years seem but as one minute to one that sleâ—peth or is dead so long and None are entred into heaven besides Christ c. I perceive you like not the opinion of those Anabaptists who taught the Psychopanychian or sleeping of dead mens soules neither are you arrived to the height of the Jewish Sâ—dduces or heathenish Epicures for they denyed a resurrection which you confesse yet you have chose a fair middle way and with them you believe that our soules dye with our bodies and your confessing of the resurrection is but a reserve by which you re-inforce your doctrine of the Soules mortality for when you perceived that the words of Christ against the Sadduces made also against you when he alledged Matth. 22. 32. Exod. 3. 6. those words I am the God of Abraham to prove that Abraham then lived because Abraham's soul lived for those words were spoken long after Abâ—aham was dead to avoid this you tell us that it proves onely that Abraham must one day be recalled to life so though Abraham's soul was then dead and therefore Abraham was not living yet God is the God of the living that is of the living dead Abraham because some thousands of years after Abraham may be revived you may do well to reform Church-Creeds and adde to The Resurrection of the body the resurrection of the soul which hath been alwayes omitted because the Church thought that onely the body falleth and that the body onely is câ—davâ—r and onely of that there will be a resurrection to the penitent Thief it is said This Luke 23. 43. day shalt thou bâ—wâ—th me in Pâ—â—â—d se this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not yet come by your doctrine though sixteen hundred years are run out since St. Paul in the narration of his rapture into the third heaven confesseth he 2 Cor. 12. 2. knew not whether he were in the body or out of the body therefore in his opinion posâ—â—bly his soul might be in that heaven whilest his body was on earth and St. Stephen at his Martyâ—dome said Lord Jesus receive Acts 7. 59. my 〈◊〉 if his soul was then to dye I marvel why he would not as well say Lord Jesus receive my body but surely he thought his spirit or soul was not mortal and this is consonant with the doctrine of the best â—ilosophers who proved the soul to be separably existible because they discovered that our soul hath operations which are inoâ—ganical for the intellective faculty useth the body onely as an object but not as an instrument and our most excellently learned Physician and rare Philosopher Doctor Thomas Brown of Norwich hath taught us d Râ—lig Medici paâ—t 1. sect 35. 〈◊〉 l. de Aniâ—â— c. 44. vide 〈◊〉 l. 7. c 52. 〈◊〉 Hesâ—châ—â—m in vita Arisâ—â—ae Epimenidis â— 4â— 46. That in the dissecting of a man no Organ is found proper to the Reasonable Soule and that in the brain of man there is nothing of moment 〈◊〉 then in the Cranie of a â—east And Tertullian telleth a story of one Hermotimus whose soul used to leave hâ—s body for a time and Evagari as his word is to wandâ—r abroad whilest his body lay like a dead corps and to return again till his enemies took advantage and whilest his soul was absent they burnt his body And such another story doth Origen tell of the same Orig. cont Cels l. 3. man whom he cals Clazomenius Now whether this be true or not yet it argues that in the judgment of these profound Philosophers the soul possibly may exist out of the body I perceive that the Judgment of the Church hath but little power to sway you for you snatch at any paradox though heretical that comes in your way Eusebius tells us that this very opinion Euseb hist l. 6. c. 27. of the soules dying with the body and rising again with the body was accounted heretical by the Church and that it was in an open Council confuted by Origen though Origen himself erred on the other side and St. Austin in his catalogue of Heresies calls Aust haer 83. Aug. de Ecclesiast dogm c. 15. n. 72. Basil hom de avar n. 12. Philo. de mundi opificio p. 31. n. 2. this of yours the Arabick heresie and our humane soul is by him called Anima substantiva i. e. a substautivesoul because it can subsist alone and of such men which say their soules are mortal St. B sil saith they have Animam pâ—rcinam a swinish soul and Philo the learned Jew saith that a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a creature mortal and immortal because he hath a mortal body and an immortal soul and this the Church hath taught in all ages and is so delivered Ambr. de fide l. 2. c. 3. n. 22. by St. Ambrose That the soul of man cannot dye The sleeping of dead Saints which you read of in Scripture is meant just as their rising is not of soules but of bodies Many bodies of the Saints which slept arose Matth. 27. 52. But what think you of the soul of Christ did that die with his body No Christian that ever I heard of thought so perhaps neither do you or if you do I care not the same argument which the Apostle drawes from Christs resurrection to prove our resurrection will be as firm to prove the immortality of our soules by the immortality of his soul 1 Cor. 15. 16. If the dead rise not then is not Christ risen So if man's soul be not immortal then was not Christ's soul immortal and if Christ's soul dyed not neither will our soules dye The doctrine of the Soules immortality is so demonstrable by nature that the Ancient Christians symbols or rules of faith did not expresly declare it as an article of faith Christian because even * Si in hoc erro quòd animas hominum immortales credam libeâ—â—èr erro hunc erâ—orem mihi extorqueri nolo aveo patres vestros mortuos videre Cic de Senect heathen Philosophers both confessed and proved it but yet in the later Creeds of the Church the article of Christ's descent was added for no greater cause at first that ever I could learn or discover then this as
â—â—tu i. that he was in the light of God and company of Saints and St. Austin prayed thus for his godly Aug. Confes l. 9. c. 13. Mother deceased Pro peccatis matris mea deprecor te Deus demitâ—e illi debita sua c. i. I beseech thee O God for the sins of my Mother that thou wouldst forgive her and yet immediatly he saith Credo jam feceris quod rogo i I beleeve thou hast alreadâ—y done what I now pray for Notwithstanding the Church did so pray and Epiphanius gives this reason why the names of the dead were Epiph. hae 75. mentioned in the Church-prayers Quia hoc magis fuerit utile quid commodius quod credunt praesentes quòd bi qui decesserunt vivunt non sunt nulli i. What can be more profitable to the living then to be assured that the dead persons commemorated do still live and that they are not annihilated So we see the Church had other reasons which moved them so to commemorate the dead though the deceased received no benefit thereby As 1. To commend unto the living and in their mindes to preserve the wholesom doctrine of our Souls immortality 2. Their prayers did challenge the performance of Gods promises to those deceased who had lived and died in the Lord as is declared Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord saith the Spirit 3. For the coâ—solation of the living the Priest declared that the sins of such holy men which had lived and died in the faith of Christ were forgiven 4. The Church gave thanks for their departure to rest as acknowledging the mercy of God by which they were saved and not by their own merits Some Divines think that when St. Paul prayed for Onesiphorus The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day 2 Tim. 1. 18. that Onesiphorus was at that time dead because in the end of the Epistle in the salutations there is no mention of Onesiphorus but of his familie only 2 Tim. 4. 19. And because there is no state or condition of men in this life though never so sinful which excludeth them from the benefit of being prayed for therefore some Expositors have thought that when St. John said There is a sin unto death I do not say he shall pray for it 1 Joh 5. 16. his meaning is that such an one who liveth and dieth in a soul-destroying sin such as shall in this book afterwards be discovered without repentance for such a mans prayers are unprofitable and vaine not excluding others that die in the Lord to be commemorated in the prayers of the living as Onesiphorus before mentioned and in that sense as is before said and this is St. Heromes exposition in his objurgatory Hier 10. 9. Epiad Evang. Epistle to Evangius if it be his own and so also saith the interlineal glosse with Lyra. St. Austin being hard put to it to give an account why the Church prayed for the dead and what benefit the dead had by the prayers of the living by the questions of Dulcitius and Paulinus confesseth most inge Aug. lib. de Cur promortâ— c. 1. nuously that the dead can have no benefit at all by our prayers here except by their good life they were capable of good before their death and again he saith Because the Church knoweth not unto what dead men Aug. ib. c. 17. her prayers are profitable therefore she prayeth pro omnibus regeneratis i. for all the regenerate that none may be omitted CHAP. XV. That the Fathers did not beleeve that Souls departed were insensible as if they were dead or asleep because the Saints departed do pray for the Church Militant as the Fathers thought HAving shewed before what the Church Militant did here below for the Triumphant part above it would now be considered what the Triumphant Church above doth for us that are on earth in the judgement of the Fathers The ancient Church were so far from thinking that our souls died with our bodies that they affirme and verily beleeve that the souls of holy men departed and being in rest did pray for the Church on earth for so St. Hierom tels us the Saints deceased pray for the living Hier. Epist 53. n. 17. for they that had so much charity on earth as to pray even for their enemies and persecutors much more will they now in heaven pray for the Church St. Paul is not lesse charitable after his departure then he was before and so he wished Heliodorâ—â— that if he died before Hier. Eipst 1. n. 1. Hierom to pray for him when he was in heaven so likewise he desireth a Id. Epist 27. n. 7. Principia and b Id. Epist exeg 140. n. 30 Paula to remember him when they are in heaven And St. Ambrose professeth c Amb. de fide Resur n. 30. That he expecteth the intercession of his brother Satyrus deceased for the speedier deliverance out of the miseries of this life and that he hoped the godly Emperour d Id. de Obit Theod. n. 47. Theodosius departed did yet pray to God for his surviving Children and that the dead Emperor e Id. de Obit Valent. n. 46. Gratian did pray for his brother Valentinian Of the same Judgment is St. Chrysostom f Chrys ser de uno Legisl to 6. n. 55. for he doubteth not to affirm that the Martyrs and Prophets Apostles deceased do actually pray for the living and before him St. Cyprian in his life-time contracted with Cornelius g Cyp. l. 1. Epist 1. Qui prior è vita discesserit oret pro sratribus i. That which of them should first dye must pray for the survivers and in an Epistle written to some Martyrs who were very speedily to suffer death for Christ he desireth †Cyp. ad Marty n. 98. Naz. Orat. 24. them to be mindful of him when they were in the honour of Martyrs with the Lord. Greg. Naz. tells us that Athanasius though deceased yet as he was perswaded did still help and assist the Church and that his friend St. Basil deceased and now in heaven yet Naz. Orat. 20. even there poured out prayers for the people And of his reverend old father deceased who had been a long time Bishop of Nazianzum he saith That he doubteth Id. Orat. 19. not but though he were in heaven yet the same Pastoral care which he had on earth remaineth still with him and now that he is approached nearer to God he doth more good for that flock by his prayers in heaven then he could do by his doctrine on earth This is enough to shew what the Fathers thought of the Immortality of the soules of men and the same opinion was so generally received of Christian people in those dayes that as St. Chrysostome reporteth they Chrys Ser. 4. de Laz. n. 42. would commonly boast that they should
of the Godhead and manhood in the Person of Jesus Christ the communication of the properties of each nature the life and death of Nestorius and how Christ is said to be deified FOr the avoyding of the unpardonable sin before mentioned it will not be sufficient to believe and confess that God is in Jesus as a man in a ship or as God was in the Prophets and is now in holy men who are therefore called the Temples of the living God 2 Cor. 6. 16. or as God is every where who filleth heaven and earth Jer. 23. 24. For though God be in an holy Man yet we cannot say that God and that Man are one Person and though God be in Heaven yet he and Heaven are not one hypostasis or subsistence in one Personall union but as our soul and body united and composed are one Man and one Person so the Godhead and Manhood united in Iesus are one Person one Christ Now these two distinct natures to wit the Godhead and Manhood are in Christ so united that they will be for ever inseparable and they are so entwined one with the other that no action or passion can be said of the man Christ which may not be said of God the rule of Divines is Effâ—ctus hypostaticae unionis est Regula Theolog communicatio idiomatum i. The result or effect of the Personall union is a communication of properties which rule is laid and more plainly expressed by St Austine in these words Vnilas Personae Christi sic Aug. to 6. cont Ser. Arian n. 7. constat ex humana divina natura ut quaelibet earum vocabulum impertial alteri i. The unitie of the Person of Christ doth so consist of the Divine and humane natures that each nature imparteth its appellation mutually to the other so that what is properly belonging to the divine nature is ascribed as done also by the humane nature the same is also thus expressed by Theodoret Communia Persona evadunt quae sunt Theod. Dial. impatib n. 13. P. 398. propria naturarum i. By reason of this hypostaricall union those things which are proper to each nature severally become common to the whole person and hence it is that Christ is called the Son of Man and the Son of God eternall and yet born the on of David and yet the Lord of David of him it is said John 3. 13. He that came down from Heaven even the Son of Man which is in Heauen yet the Manhood did not come from heaven nor was the Manhood at that time in Heaven so again Christ said to the thief Luke 23. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in paradise and yet Christ was not there that day in his body nor by his soul for ought we know but onely by his Godhead which was then in Paradise when his body was on the earth and hence it is that the appellation of God is stamped on the humane and infirm actions and passions of Christ for though he was crucified through weaknesse as it is said 2 Cor. 13. 4. that is as he was man yet because his Divine Nature is for ever inseparable from the humane nature he is truely called Deus crucifixus Hier. ut sup c. 6. Naz. Orat. 51. n. 35. i. God crucified as is shewed before out of Saint Hierome and Nazian saith Si quis crucifixum non adorat anathema sit i. He that doth not worship him that was crucified let him be accursed This great mystery of the hyposiaticall union was prudently discerned by the ancient Fathers Origen saith Judaei Dâ—um crucifixâ—â—unt i. The Jewes crucied Origen hom 5. in Ps 36. Orig. in Luc. hom 38. n. 45. Chrys in synax n. 35. God and the same Father speaking of the tears which Christ shed over Jâ—rusalem calleth them Lacrymas Dei i. the tears of God So St. Chrysostome calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. the crucified God The Prophet Esay prophesying of the birth of Christ Esay 9. 6. Vnto us a child is born immediately addeth his name shall be called The mighty God and the Church used the same language Fulgentius saith Maria Fulg. de grat n. 3. est genetrix Dei quia were propriâ— peperit Deum Verbum i. Mary is the Parent of God for she brought forth truly and properly God the Word St. Hierome saith Virgo Deum puerum peperit i. Mary brought Hier. Ep. 30. n. 8. forth a child that is God So Saint Ambrose speaketh i Ambr. in sym n. 20. Deus natus est ex virgine God was born of a Virgine and Athanasius saith k Atha apol 2. n. 15. n. 22. Deus incarnatus Deus passus est God was incarnate and God suffered This doctrine is so true and necessary that otherwise we could not have been redeemed the denying thereof no doubt is within the compass of the unpardonable blasphemy and the Church accounted such as taught the contrary to be in the number of the most dangerous hereticks as may appear by the story of Nestorius thus in brief This Nestorius was by birth a German and was admitted Soc. l. 7. c. 29. Theod. haer fab l. 4. n. 16. to be a Presbyter or Priest in the Church of Antioch from thence he was preferred to be Patriarch of Constantinople and there he was a sore vexer of the Arians Novatians and Macedonian hereticks and so eager therein that he incensed the Emperour against them using this proud speech O Imperator da mihi Soc. l. 7. c. 29. terram purgatam hâ—reâ—icis ego tibi eoelum vetribuam i. If the Emperour would purge his Empire of hereticks he would assure him of Heaven He was a man very cloquent and so proud thereof that he disdained to reade the ancient Writers and so being ignorant of Catholick Doctrine he fell into this Heresie of dividing or separating the two Natures of Christ and particularly teaching that the Virgin Mary ought not to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Parent or Mother of Evag. l. 1. c. 3â— God and because some of his sect would have her called onely ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mother of a man Nestorius desiring to go in a middle way would have her called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. the Mother of Christ but at no hand the Mother of God so his error was in this that he divided and rent and severed the two natures of Christ that which his crucifiers were not permitted to do to his very garments in effect as Vincentius noteth Nestorius duos vult esse Filios Dei duos Christos Vincent Lirin c. 17. n. 53. unum Deum alterum hominem i. Nestorius would have fancied two Sons of God and two Christs whereof one should be God and the other a man and so by denying the unity of his Person he indeed made a quaternity of Persons instead of a Trinitie against the sentence of
Generation from Adam but our better and spiritual regeneration is derived from Christ and as there are no Sons of Men but such as are so from Adam so ther are no Sons of God but those that are so from Christ Now if it be demanded how Christ and wee can be accounted one and what it is which came from Christ and is in man that so he may be said to be in us and so that what he did or suffered should be really accounted as done or suffered by us for although wee know why Adam's sin is imputed to us viz. because wee are of the same Lump propagated carnallie from him but yet why Christs righteousnes oâ— his sufferings should be imputed to us seeing wee are not propagated from Christ nor ever were in his loines as wee were in Adams is now the question To which this is the arswer that as Christ received his flesh and blood from man so man hath received the divine Spirit from Christ and as the natural bodie of Christ is made of the same lump of Adam that our's is so man hath in him the self same spirit that is in Christ though he be in heaven and wee on earth by which spirit wee are called the Sons of God just as Christ by taking our flesh is called the Son of Man Nos homines vocamur filii dei quia filius dei Atha in decret Nic. Conc n. 13. nostrum gestavit corpus quia Spiritus filii in nobis est i Men are called the Son of God because the Sons of God took his bodie of man and put his owne Spirit into man and therfore Christ doth fitly sustaine an Universal person of mankind That the Spirit of Christ is given and put into man the Scriptures doe manifestlie declare First it appeareth evidently in the regenerate Man of sueh S. Paul speaketh when he prayeth Ephe. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in their harts And how Christ may be sayd to dwell in Man Saint John sheweth 1 John 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell â—in him and â—e in us because he hath given us of his Spirit and hence it is that Saint Chrysostome saith Anima sancta est Tabernaculum Chrys ho 2. Antioch Christi id est The soul of an holy Man is Christs Tabernacle For indeed though Christ had not at all assumed flesh from Man yet because the same Spirit which is in Christ is also so put into and communicated to man it is sufficient to make Christ the head of the Saints his Members to be but one mysticall Body with him And this is intimated by Saint Paul when he saith Ephesians 4. 4. There is one body and one Spiriâ— which is as much as if he should say though the Saints on earth are many yet because all are endued with one and the same Spirit of Christ therefore all are but one body with Christ even as in man there are many parts and members yet because all parts have the same soul in them therefore all together are but one body Hence it is that Origen saith Omnes salvandi sunt Orig. in Eze. ho. 9. unum Corpus id est All those which shall be saved are but one body and Saint â—asill giveth this reason of their vnitie Quia unus est Deus si in singulis Bas Epist 141. sit omnes coadunat id est Because there is but one God if this one God be in all he doth thereby Tert. de Trin. n. 28 Christus est ecclesia De Paenit n. 16 unite all and this unitie is also expressed by these odd words in Tertullian Spi itus nos Christo confibulat id est It is the Spirit that doth button us or joyn us to Christ For this reason the Scripture saith Romans 12. 5. We being many are one body in Christ And again 1 Corinthians 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And again Galathians 3. 28. Ye are all one in Christ Jesus yea such is our conjunction and union with Christ and his with us by reason that his Spirit is in us that Theodoret doubted not to say Si pati possit Theod. in Dâ—alog impatib n. 13. divina natura supervacanea fuisset corporis assumptio id est If the pure Godhead were of a nature passible so that it could have suffered for man God should not have needed to be Incarnate And Saint Augustine puts the case a little plainer and nearer thus Si Christus non assumpta carne à Virgine sed vera tamen apparens nos vera morte redimeret quis eum non potuisse audet dicere Suppose Christ had not taken his flesh from the Virgine and so not from Adam but yet had really taken a body upon him some other way and in that assumed body had really died to redeem man who dares say that he could not and no doubt such a suffering had been sufficient for our redemption if as I said before God had not otherwise determined and limited himself by his sentence of the curse and death upon the seed of Adam And thus we have seen how Christ and the Saints are united and become one body SECT II. More of the same That Jesus Christ was a Person every way fitly qualified to be Man's Redeemer both for that he was free from all sin Originall and Actuall although he took flesh from the loynes of Adam and also in regard of the infinite worth and excellencie of his Person THe qualities required to a redeeming high Priest are set down Heb. 7. 26. For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undefiled seperate from sinners For if Christ were not absolutely without sin in his own Person he could not be a fit sacrifice for our sins the Lamb of God must be answerable to the paschall Lamb his Type A Lambe without blemish and so the Scripture describeth Christ 1 Pet. 1. 19. as a Lambe without blemish or spot and that he knew no sin that he did no sin and that in him 1 John 3. 5. is no sin As for any actuall sinne there will be no question among Christians but the difficulty is in shewing Christ to be without Origâ—â—â—l◠〈◊〉 because he was in the loins of Adam when he fell and is the Son of David of Abraham and of Adam and the Church hath ever acknowledged that the whole lump of Adam is a Prosper Resp ad Genu. Massa corruptionis as Prosper saith and b Aug. Epist 105 157. De Civit. l. 15. c. 1. alibi Massa damnationis Vâ—nculnm damnationis Apostatica radâ—x Massa originaliter tota damnata as S. Austin often confesseth in all these words and many more id est a corrupt lump a lump of damnation an Apostate root totally condemned from the the very Originall The Apostle also seemeth to lay this to the charge of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to
Son himself shall 1. Quaest be subject whereas in truth onely hâ—s Church is then to be subjected more then it was before and not his own Person no not his very humanity more I say then it was whilest he walked on the Earth For then he was not onely without sin but moreover he was obedient to death even the death of the cross Philip. 2. 8. For the understanding hereof I premise three considerable observations First the Apostle doth not say the Word shall be subject for then he must mean that the Godhead of Christ should be subject which is impossible but he saith the Son shall be subject Now we know nothing is more frequent in Scripture then that holy men are called the Sons of God as Matth. 5. 9. Luke 6. 35. so that the subjection of the Son of God doth here signifie the perfect subjection of holy men at the resurrection of the just as will more appeare anon Secondly I observe that whereas he saith The Son himself shall be subject and yet cannot mean the naturall and individuall Person of Jesus Christ but onely his Church it must needs declare that the appellation of tâ—e Son of God himself is given and communicated to his elect members who are his Body mysticall as being really united to his body naturall and with him who is the head they are One body so that Christ and his Church are called One Christ which by the Fathers is usually called Plenitudo Christi Christus â—â—tuâ— Christus Vniverisus Tertullian in his sense said Tertul. de Poenit. Aug. â—n Jo. Tract 21. of this mystery Ecclesia est Christus cum ad fratrum gâ—nuate proter dis Christum contractas and so Saint Austine Christi facti sumus non soâ—um Christani Plenitudo Christi est caput membra Câ—â—istus Ecclesi i. The Church is Christ so that when you are prostrate at the knees of the brethren you touch the knees of Christ We are not onely Christians but we are Christ the Fulness of Christ is the head and the members that is Christ and hâ—s Church Thirdly Observe that it is said Then shall the Son 3. be subject by which future expression it may clearly appear that the subjâ—ctâ—on here meant is not yet come to pass and therefore cannot be understood of the naturall proper and individuall Person of Jesus Christ for all manner of subjectâ—on that can be expected from him is already perfect in his own proper humanity because himself never rebelled against the Godhead Nazianzen saith of him Annon nunc subjectus est an Naz. Orat. 36. ut de Deâ— hoste loqueâ—is But though Christ in hâ—s own proper humanity ever was is and will be subject to the Godhead yet of Christ in regard of his â—ody Mysticall which is the Church of Elect â—s called by her Spouses Id. ibid. own name the same Father saith Pâ—ccaâ— a nostra sumpsit inobedientiam quamdâ—u egâ— inobediens sum Coristus per me inobediens est Cum subjectionem nostram implevâ—rit nosque adduâ—â—râ—t tum ipsâ— subjâ—ctus dicitur Christ hath taken our sins and dâ—sobâ—dience on himself so long as I am inobedient so long Christ by me is said to be inobedient when he hath wholly subdued us and presented us perfect to the Father then the Son himself is said to be subject The answer to this question How the Son himself Answer shall then be subject is this That in Scripture-language the Church or Saints and Members of Christ aâ—e called and really are with their head One whole Christ they are himself and therefore their subjection is his subjection and so long as they are not fully subjected the Son himself is not wholly subject For if the naturall body of Christ be called Christ as it is when we say Christ is buried when onely his body was buried much rather may his great Mystcall and Pâ—liticall Body be called Christ and so it is 1 Cor. 12. 27. The Body of Christ all the Members are but one Body so is Christ and Gal. 3. 2â— All are one in Christ Jesus see 1 Cor. 6. 15. If it were not for this reall union of Christ and his Church how could Christ truely say I was hungry Matth. 25. 30. and ye gave me meat for the meat is meant of that which is given to his poor Members and not to his own proper self and thâ—s is clearly and often explained by S. Austine a Aug. in Jo. Tract 28. Non enim Christus in capite non in corpore sed Christis toâ—us in capite in corpore and again b In Jo tract 108. Vnus est Christus caput corpus ipsi sunt ego and again c In 1 Epist Jo. tract 1. Carni Christi conjungitur Ecclesia fit totus Christas caâ—u corpus and again d Ibid. tract 10. Filâ—i Dei sunt câ—orpus unics Filii Dei â—um ille caput sit nos Membra unus ' est Fâ—lius Dei and more yet e De Verb. Dei Serm. 14. Caput cum corpore suâ— unus est Christus The Apostle saith Eph. 5. 31. We are memberâ— of his Body of his flesh and of his bones upon which words the same Father saith f De Temp. serm 234. Ipse Christus est spensur sponsa sponsus in capiâ—e sponsa in corpore The sum of what he saith is this We are not to imagine Christ to be onely in the head for the whole Christ consisteth of the head and body The head and body are but one Christ his Members are himself so there is but one Son of God for the whole Christ is both Bridegroom and Bride By reason of this Union Christ said Saul Saul why Acts 9. 4. persecutest thou me For Christ is in Heaven as head but his Body is on Earth If one tread upon the foot the head crieth you tread on me g Aug. de Verb. Dei ser 49. Vnitaâ— est à capite ad pedes head and foot are united as one Body and therefore by the Ancients h Prosp Psal 101. Those which are strong in Christ are called his bones The Apostle is the mouth of Christ Saint Ambrose wished would I were Ambr. n. 51 34 but his Foot Others are his Eyes as the Prophets Others his hands as those that do good and the poor are his belly yea the Prophet calls his people the apple Zach. 2. 8. of his Eye So it is said John 3. 13. No man hath ascended into Heaven but he that came down from Heaven For although holy men ascended into Heaven yet this is a Truth because such are included in the plenitude of Christ i Aug. de Verb. Apost ser 14. In Coeâ—um non ascendâ—t nâ—si Christus si vis ascendere â—sto in corpore He that will ascend must first be in Christ It is said Col. 1. 24. I fiâ—l up that which
his back parts signifie his later dispensations in assuming our nature of the Virgin Mother his birth his conversation with men his passion death resurrection ascention so that the meaning is that Moses viz. the Mosaical people should in after times see God when God should be incarnate So Athanisius expounds it posteriores Ath. ad Antio quaest 23. n. 28. dei partes carnen intellige quam assum sit ex Virgine per quam conspectus est i by the back-parts of God you must vnderstand his flesh taken of the Virginâ— Marie in which flesh he was seen and this also is the exposition of Origen on Psal 36. hom 4. and Austin giues a reason why the incarnation is callâ—d the after parts of God Propter posteritaâ—em mortalitatis vel Aug. de Trin. l. 2. 17. quia poster ùs â—arnem assumpturus erat i. because his mortal or humane nature was to be assumed long after Moses time and later then his divine nature which had bin from all Eternitie Neither doth this Doctrine by asserting the incarnation of God any way countenance the heresie of the Anthropomorphites who ascribed corporeal lineaments and parts to God and because it is said Esa 66. 1. heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool they thought the divine nature was a vast body teaching from heaven to earth as Origen relates of them Orig in Gen. ho. 1. and because they read of the hand and arme and eyes of God simple monks as they were they ascribed those parts literally to the divine nature which are spoken of in Scripture but figuratively these were the Andian Enrors as wee read in Epiphanius The odoret Sozomen these men thought a body to be essential to God as if God could not be God except he had a body but wee say the body or humane nature is not essential to God no not to the person of the Son of God but it is an accessarie assumed and not into the essential union with the Son but into personal union with him being now God incarnate for he was God and the Son of God before his incarnation so that although the divine nature in its owne essence or pure Godhead is incorporeal yet the same Godhead now considered in the Person of Christ cannot be said to be without a body for as Theodoret noteth Christus Theod. dial 3. n. 13. significat Deum incorporatum non incorporeum id est Christ signifieth God incarnate and not God incorporeall because the Son of God who is the One and onely true God is now Emmanuel the Godhead and the Manhood in him are inseparably united for ever and in this sence I conceive the first Article of Religion in the Church of England is to be p. Art 1. understood which saith p. God is without Body because albeit God never will be without his assumed Body yet this Body is not of the Essence of God for although the Son of God never had assumed a Body nor ever had been incarnate yet nevertheless he had been and shall be God and the Sonne of God from everlasting to everlasting This I hope is enough concerning the first question of Gods visibility and invisibilitie CHAP. VI. The Second question why the Fathers said that 2 Question onely the Son was seen by the Patriarks and not the Father IT being granted that the Father and the Son are but one onely and the same God allthough distinct in proprieties and Persons it would be inquired why the Fathers before mentioned said that the Son appeared and was seen when the Father did not appear nor was seen for how can one be seen and not the other when both are one Before I enter upon this question I desire the Reader to take notice of two things First that this discourse is intended to be onely concerning such a sight of God as mortall men are capable of in this life because it is not revealed to us how man shall see God in the life to come of which it is said Marth 5. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God and yet also the impure shall see God for every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him Rev. 1. 7. Saint Austine expounding the words Zach. 12. 10. They shall Aug. de Trin lib. 1. c. 13 look upon me whom they pierced saith The wicked shall not see him in thâ— form of God but in the form of a servant because God shall sit in judgement as he is clothed with his humane body that so the judge may be visible to all that shall be judged for even Satan conversed with our God on earth being in his flesh when he tempted him Matt. 4. But the righteous when they once are in the possession of the joyes of Heaven shall see God as he is in his Divine nature which Divines call facialem visionem the beatificall vision seeing God face to face as it is said 1 Cor. 13. 12. and then happily the distinct Person of the Father will be visible to eyes glorified for then the Saints shall be equall to the Angels Luke 20. 36. of whom we shall read Matth. 18. 10. Their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Secondly that I do not take upon me peremptorily to affirm that the Person of God the Father hath never presented himself in any corporeal or visible shape for how should I know such a Mystery And because I find that Saint Austine saith Nâ—mis temerarium est dicere Aug. de Trin l. 2. c. 17. 18 patrem nunquam visum patâ—ibus credibile est Patrem solitum fuisse apparere mortalibus i. It is too much rashnesse to affirm that the Father was never seen Nay it is credible that he used to appear to the Patriarchs And Atbanasius saith that although God was sometimes seen in the Person of the Son when he was not seen in the Person of the Father yet he saith also that at another time all the three Persons Athan. lib. de Com. essentia n. 24. were seen by Abraham Tres Personae sedebaent apud Abraham i. All the three Persons sate at Abrahams tent For what inconvenience will follow if God shew his presence at the same time both in severall places and also in severall assumed shapes for he that is at all times really present in all places may also manifest his presence where and when and how he pleaseth It is confessed that the Person of the Sonne assumed an humane body and was seen and at the same time the Person of the Holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a Dove Matthew 3. 17. and then also the voyce of the Person of the Father was heard and again Matthew 17. 5. which Divines say must needs be from the Person of the Father because the Sonne of God is not the Sonne of any other Person but onely of the Father Indeed it is said of
or heightned in him to greater power and efficacie and whereas David prayed Psal 51. 11. take not thy holie Spâ—rit from me it will not follow that David feared he should be left destitute altogether of the Spirit of God but that it might remaine with him in some degree at least but he prayed for the Continuance and Manifestation of Gods help and assistance by the Spirit in the same manner as before he had it because as Prosper observeth Cessatio auxilii pro absentia accipitur i God Pros ad Dem. n. 59. is said to depart from man when he withholdeth his help albeit God is essentially alwayes present so when he withdraweth one grace yet he may manifest his presence by some other grace for every man hath not every grace of the Spirit S. Hierom in one of his exegetical Epistles upon these words 1 Cor. 15. 28. That God may be all in all saith Adhuc Deus est nisi pars Hier. Epist 147. n. 30. in singulis ut sapientia in Solomone patientia in Job post erit omnia in omnibus cum Sancti omnes virtutes habuerint i In this life God is but a part in men as wisdome in Solomon patience in Job but in the next life God will be all in all for then his Saints shall be induced with all vertues And wheras it is said Joh. 7. 39. The holie Ghost was not yet given Yet wee are sure that it was given before both to the Prophets and also to the Apostles but the meaning is as S. Austin expounds it Non quia nulla datio antea sed quia non talis quae de Aug. de Trin. lib. 4. c. 17. n. 72 Linguis legitur i Not as if there had bin no gift of the Spirit before but because the Spirit was not before given in that kind and manner as it was at the feast of Pente cost and so doth S. Cyril resolve the same doubt Cyril Hieros Cat. 16. Spiritus idem descendebat in Pentecoste qui anteà sed tum Copiosiùs i It was the same Spirit that descended at the Pentecost which came before but now it came more Copiouslie Thus are God and man united he taking our flesh and we receiving his Spirit upon this consideration S. Cyprian saith Cum Corpus â— terra Spiritum possideamus Cyp. de Orat. Dom. n. 82. e caelo Ipsi câ—lum tâ—rra sumus i Man is the union of heaven and earth because our bodies are from the earth but we possesse a Spirit which came from heaven CHAP. XVI That the Spirit of God is given to men nâ—â— sanctified how those are said to be Gods anointed who were not anointed with Oile that our King is Gods anointed somthing concerning the Kings touching and Curing the diseased BUt why should we doubt to affirme that the Spirit of Jesus our only Lord God is communicated even to men unregenerate and that in such men this Spirit doth manifest it's presence in some lower degree by some common graces which doe not sanctifie them in whom they are seeing that we find in Scripture that both heathen and wicked Kings are called Gods anointed for Esa 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus yet this Cyrus both lived and died an heathen So King Saul though an Israelite yet a wicked man is called 2 Sam. 1. 14. The Lords anointed Now we know that Vnction doth not alwayes signifie only an External or Ceremonial anointing with Oile but it signifieth also the inward gift and inhabitation of the Spirit of God for wee find that those men are said to be Gods anointed whom we cannot find to have bin externally anointed with Oile for so Christ is said to be anointed Psal 45. 7. Yet not with external Oile so also Abraham Jsaac and Jacob Psal 105. 15. are called Gods anointed yet we find not that they were anointed with Oile but these holie ones are therfore said to be anointed because the Spirit of God was in them which is the true and reall unction wheras external ointment is but the signe therof in like manner because Cyrus an heathen is called Gods anointed and yet was never anointed with Oile it must needs follow that his unction was internal and that he was therfore called Gods anointed because God had put his Spirit into him Iâ—say his Spirit although not working so high as to Sanctification in Cyrus but yet a Spirit of wisdome and kingly fortitude and of skill and knowledg politicall and militarie To enable him to governe which gifts are the effect of Gods Spirit And this is the exposition which the ancients give concerning those forenamed unctions first for Christ Euseb us saith Non apparet Christum unctum fuisse communi oleo sed divino Eus de Dem. lib. 5. c. 2. Spiritu i It can not appeare that Christ was anointed with common Oâ—le Ceremonialie but he was anointed with the divine Spirit and so saith Athanasius Oleum Ath. Orat. 2. Cont. Arian Opt. lib 4. Atha Orat. Cont. Aria n 8. Christi est Spiritus sanctus i The Oile of Christ was the holie Spirit and just so saith Optatus and what this unction of Christ was and wherin it consisted is shewed by the same Athanasius upon those words God of God unitio verbi cum carne vo catur unctâ—o i The union of the Godhead with the manhood was Christ's unction Now for the anointing of meere men and that without any infusion of Oile Eusebius saith Dei Spiritus Eus de Dem. l. 4. c. 15. est dei Oleum i The Oile of God is the Spirit of God and he tels further in the same place that Abraham Isaac and Jacob are called Gods anointed Propter divinum Spiritum cujus participes erant i By reason of Gods Spirit with which those holie patriarks were indued and to the same purpose S. Basil saith Spiritus Basil hom de Bapt. n. 14. sanctus est unctio in nobis i our unction is the holie Spirit which is in us For so it is said also of our Saviour expresly Act. 10. 38. God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the holie Ghost The appellation of Christ and of Christian is from this unction and we use to say of infants when they are baptized that they are made Christians which signifieth anointed not because of the old Ceremonie of Crisme or anoâ—â—ting with Oile which with us hath bin long agoe disused but as Dionysius formerlie when it was in use gave the reason unction and Christian signifie deificam Spiritus communionem Dionys Areop eccleâ— her c. 2. i The communication of the divine Spirit because wee beleeve that God with the external Sacrament conferreth the inward grace which beleife the ancients did represent by their anointing the baptized with Oile Now if it may app are that by vertue of such an internal Unction of which I spake in Cyrus some unregenerate men have actually exercised and performed
II. Reasons why the Authour of this Commentary concealeth his own name BUt Sir why do you conceal your name Is it your humility not to be known take heed that Christ say not unto you a Luk. 13. 25. I know you not for you have not onely not confessed him before men but you have moreover denyed him and that in his most high and nearest concernment even his Godhead before our Saviour cast out a Devil he asked his name and had an answer and his name began with b Marc. 5. 9. I. it were meet that your name should be known that it might appear of which kind you are that means may be applied according to your quality to cast out this evil spirit But if you meant seriously to conceal your self why did you cause your Book to be presented to so many of the prime Gentry of this Countrey they all knew the author for the opinion men had of your abilities made them accept of and to expect something in your book answerable thereunto and it was needful they should know you for the greater advancement of such a doctrine But c Mart. l. 10 ep 3. Cur ego laborâ—m notus esse tam pravè i. e. Why should you make your self known so wickedly except you hoped to have a new name of an old heresie that Arians should change theit old appâ—llation and be called after your name and there may be some colour for it for although you have told us no new thing but onely a revival of many old heresies yet you are the first that ever in our English Print published and asserted them so that if all the former Catalogues of the most dangerous heresies were lost yet we may find more then enough in your Commentary but there may be greater reasons why you so cautelously withhold your name First the danger of the Law de haretico Comburendo for when a certain Gentlewoman by a friend of yours was told that some men said you might be burnt for your book she modestly replyed thus Sir they that said so may themselves be in danger of burning for being Witches they foretell so shrewdly I have heard that one of your opinion said Tolle legem c if it were not for the danger Tolle legem sivis esse certamen Ambr. Epist 13. of the Law he would dispute down all our Christian Religion which by your Comment is done to his hand as well as you could do it insomuch that a Minister of this Diocesse whom I know to be very learned and ingenious inquired for your book at the Stationers using these words Have you such a Doctors Book against Christ But why should you fear the Law for your very good friends that know you very well do assure us that you will never burn for any Religion On earth and for the other World you have much lessened mens feares in telling us that after death our soules shall be insensible untill the resurrection and more comfort yet that although our soules shall at the last day be judged yet as is by your own very good friends reported you have certified your people that the torments of Hell shall last but the space of three dayes Secondly If your name were subscribed to your Comment it would appear that the Author was a Chaplain in Ordinary at Court and appointed by our most Religious Soveraign to preach to the Prince his Highnesse and the other Royal Issue if therefore you with your blasphemous doctrines were made known to his Majestie who is so faithful and constant in his Christian Religion with what detestation would he exufflate you as an evil spirit or as a pestilence lest you should infect the soules of the Blood-Royal and the Court St. Hierom said of one that spake lesse against Christ then you have written b Hier. Ep. ad Pam. n. 20. Ego si patrem si matrem si germenum adversus Christum meâ—â—â— auaissem ista dicentes blasphemantia ora â—aâ—erassem i. e. If I had heard mine own father or mother or my brother spâ—aking these words against Christ I would have torn thei blasphemous mouâ—hes It is well known by the Ecclesiastick History c Sozo l. 2. c. 26 Soc. 1. 19 26. what mischief one single sneaking Arian Priest did in the Court-Royal of Constantine the Great in recalling Aâ—ius from banishment and infecting the next Emperour Constanâ—ius with the Arian heresie which from that small retriving overspread the whole Roman World he had been commended to Constantine by Constantia his own Sister on her death-bed and he so insinuated himself into the Emperour that on his death-bed he committed his last Will and Testament to the trust of this Arian Priest who by his faithful carriage in delivering the said Will to the succeeding Emperour obtained his favour also then he opened his heresie and therewith infected the bed-chamber-men and the Eunuches next the Empresse then the Emperour himself and presently all families in the Imperial City fell to disputes and divisions about those questions as d Soc. l. 2. c. â— â—â— Socrates relateth A third reason why you conceal your name is because the quality of your doctrine is such as doth require a secret Seminary it is not such as a Preacher may publish e Mat. 10. 27. 2. on the house-â—op but as a false light which shineth in the darknesse and is more fit for a dark lantern or to be put under a bushel or in a tub Puâ—chra Laverna f Hoâ— Epist l. 1. c. 16. Da mihifallere da justum sanctumque videri Noctâ—m peccatis fraudibus objice nubem Neither truth it self nor her Preachers are ashamed of their doctrine g Tertul. cont Valent. n. 52. Nihil veritas â—rubâ—scit nisi so 〈◊〉 abscondi i. e. Truth is not ashamed but when she is suppressed he that in a Christian Common-wealth would sowe true and established doctrine may be h Aug. cont Faust l. 18. c. 3. In terdianus Sator as Austin's word is i. he may sprâ—ad it in the day-light but he that intends to sowe tares must do it secretly While men 〈…〉 enemy came and 〈…〉 Matth. 13. 25. Evil spirits they are which are called Nocturni â—emures i. nâ—ght-goâ—â—iâ— when the Jewes had crucified the Son of man there was Mat. 27. 45. darknesse over all the Land and now when darknesse is over all our Land by reason of dâ—ssâ—nsions in Religion you crucifie the Son of God afresh i Heb. 6. 5. and indeed haec est hora vestra potestas tenebrarum k Luk. 22. 53. for though your person be obscured your doctrine is sprung up into print even that doctrine which heretofore lurked in corners as l Psal 91. 6. a 〈…〉 that wâ—â—keth in darknesse is now again become as St. Herome complained of it in his time m Hier. Cont. Rust l. 2. c. 4. 22. Arius est daemonâ—um meridianum your Arianâ—sme is a noon-day
find great friends and assistants in the other life because they had many pious friends gone before them one would say My father was a Martyr and another My Grandfather was a Bishop and a third Such and such a holy man was my dear friend on earth therefore we shall find friends in the other world Thus far St. Chrysostome Notwithstanding all this that hath been said of which this Commenter cannot be ignorant yet against all this evidence he denyes the Immortality of the Soul Like another Vrbicus Potentinus an heretick to whom Athanasius thus writeth O Potentine adversus Scripturas Athan. cont Poten n. 30. divinas vel totum mundum tu solus sentis i. Potentinus held an opinion heretical against the holy Scriptures and also against the whole world CHAP. XVI Of the departure of our soules from our bodies and the Conductors or leaders of them to the other world and of the places or mansions of dead mens soules IN the last place it will not be amisse to set down what the Scriptures and the Ancient Fathers have said concerning the departures and mansion-places of dead mens soules which will be also a strong argument against the Epicurean doctrine of this Commentary The Angels in Scripture are called ministring spirits to the heires of salvation Heb. 1. 14. their charge is to keep such in all their wayes Psal 91. 11. therefore as Angels conducted Peter out of prison Act. 12. 7. and Lot out of Sodom Gen. 19. 16. so likewise Angels are imployed no doubt in the conveying and placing and settling departed soules in such mansions as are by God appointed for them for so the Scripture declareth in the Parable of the begger which for substance is indeed but parabolical yet for the Circumstance of the conducters of his soul the persons are really set forth so as is usual in the passage of other mens soules even as the burial of the rich man is mentioned because it was the common custom of other rich men to be buried It is therefore said The begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosome Luk 16. 22. And of another sort of Angels conducting soules it is said Thou fool this night shall they take â—â—y soul from thee Luk. 12. 20. So of the place or mansion of a blessed soul it is said it was carried into Abraham's bosome and This day shalâ— thou be with me in Paradise Luk. 23. 43. but of the mansion of a reprobate soul it is said that it was placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a place secret hidden invisible and of torment this is the summe of what we find in Scripture for the present condition of soules departed untill the last judgment And of the last Judgment it is also said The Angels shall gather his Elect from one end of heaven to the other Matth. 24. 31. In correspondence to these overtures of Scripture the Church-Writers have set down at large their expositions and opinions both for the several sorts of Conductors and also for the distinct mansion-places of the soules of Pious and of Impious Just quaest n. 31. men First Justin Martyr saith Animae hominüm ducuâ—tur ad condigna loca ab angelis ubi servantur usque ad resurrectionem i. The soules of men are conducted by Angels to convenient mansions and there are kept untill the resurrection and we read in the Constitutions of Clemens that the Church in the office of the godly deceased Clem. Const l. 8. c. 47. prayed thus Deus Collocet â—um in regionâ— piorum Angelos placidos ei constitute i. That God would place them in the region of the godly and appoint them gentle Angels and Irenâ—â—s saith Discipulorum animae Iren. l. 5. prope finem abibunt in invisibilem Loâ—um definitum eis à Deo ibi usque ad resurrectionem â—ommorabuntur i. The soules of Christians shall go into a place invisible appointed by God and there abide untill the resurrection St. Hierom Hier. Epist 25. n. 26. saith Moâ—tuos nos Angelorum turba coâ—itatur when we are dead a multitude of Angels accompanieth us And again he saith of the Martyrs soules against Vigilantius Hier. cont Vigil to 2. p. 159. Senatoriae dignitatis sunt ut noâ— inter homicidas teterrimo carcere sed liberâ honestâ—que custodid vecluduntur i. The soules of Martyrs are not committed to dark prisons as men-slayers are but like unto Senaâ—ors they are placed in a free and honourable Custody and this also is the doctrine of St. Chrysosto◠†Chrys hom in laud. Mart. to 1. Martyres in caelum ascendunâ— Angelis comitantibus i. The soules of Martyrs ascend into heaven accompanied with Angels but of the soules of the reprobate he saith Malorum animae Chrys de Laz. Ser. 2. to 5. n. 41. Atha de Virgin n. 24. Basil exhort ad bapt hom n. 14. Macar hom 22. à metuendis virâ—utibus repetuntur sunâ—que doctores viae i. The soâ—les of evil men are taken and conducted by terrible and affâ—ighting powers which also Athanasius calls Inclementes angelos i. Churlish and unkind angels and of them St. Basil saith Veniet angelus tristis animam tuam rapiet ad Tartara i. A sad dâ—smal angel will seize on thy soul and convey it to hell and the same is yet more particularly set forth by Macâ—â—ius of Egypt Cum animapeccatirea è corpore exierit accedunt Chori daemonum sinistâ—i angeli c. animam ad partes suas trahuntâ— when a guilâ—y soul deparieth troops of evil and unhappy angels drag it to their ownquarters These are the Messengers which are sent for mens soules some terrible and feared others of pleasant appearance and desired the slight apprehension of this truth and such Messengers hath occasioned men to fansie and to paint a meager raw-bon'd thing with a dart to be the summoner of mens soules to the other world which of these several â—orts of Angels is true Now whatsoever common or distinct and severall mansions there are for pious soules respectively correspondent to their qualities and demeanures on earth and so likewise for impious soules in their severall degrees as they are in bundles gathered which Lâ—ctantius Lact. de Div. Cult c. 21. n. 25. Aug. de Dulc. quaest n. 89. qu. 2. calls Communis custodia i. e. their common lodge and St. Austin Abdita receptacula i. Secret receptacles and the Scripture calleth them The spirits in prison 1 Pet. 3. 19. yet the Ancient Church did as we do reduce all those mansions to these two appellations of heaven and hell * Ath. de Incarnat n. 23. although there may be several different mansions in hell for the damned as well as we read of the blessed in heaven Joh. 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions CHAP. XVII Of the blasphemies contained in the Commentary against the Godhead of Christ and the Incarnation thereof and his Redemption of man Good Reader be
cannot be said to pray because there is none greater to be prayed unto therefore God must be incarnate before he can be a Priest or pray but as he was a perfect Man so might he pray for us and as he was perfect God so we may and must pray to him For all Prayer is directed to God onely but not to the Father onely and because the Godhead is in every Person so that every Person is God therefore Prayer may be made to any Person and Christ will yet still continue our Mediatour both to the Father and to the Holy Ghost and to himself also for he that prayeth to one Person prayeth to all three Persons for they are all inseparately involvd one in another The Father is in me I am in him Joh. 14. 11. and the Father and I are one Joh. 10. 30. But this is warily thus to be understood That the Godhead or Essence of the Father is in the Son whereby the Son is called God but the Pâ—rsonality or Propriety of the Father is not in the Son for the Father cannot be called the Son nor the Son the Father otherwise then as is shewed before that the Godhead in any Person is the Eternall Father Divines have observ'd upon that place Io. 16. 23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name He saith the Father not my Father for if he had said My Father then the asking had been confined to one Person for onely one is the Father of the Son of God but in that he saith The Father he doth not debar us from praying to the other Persons because as hath been shewed out of Esay 9. 6. every Person is the eternall Father because every one is one God There is but one God in the three Persons and that one God the second Person being God Incarnate is our Mediatour and though he be Mediatour because Incarnate yet neither his Mediatourship nor his Incarnation do nullifie his Godhead so that our Saviour is Mediatour for us to himself to his own Godhead so that we may pray to the Son to hear us for his own sake For Iohn 14. 14. Where it is said If ye aske any thing in my Name The old reading was as may be yet seen in Sâ— Hieromâ— If you aske me any thing in my Name and Beza confesseth as much though he imagined that it was taken out of the Margin into the Text. So Christ is prayed to as he is God and he is Mediatour as he is Emmanuel Every Person is God therefore every Person is to be prayed unto and he that nameth but one Person in Prayer doth not exclude the rest because all are but one God This was the Doctrine of the Primitive Church delivered singularly and profoundly by Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine Vnus Deus in tribus haec tria Amb. in symb n. 20. unus Dâ—us One God is in three Persons and three Persons are but one God And Vnus est Ommipotens Tripotens Deus Paâ—er Filius Spiritus There is but one Omnipotent and Tripotent God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And again Singulus horum Deus simul Id. de Doct. Chr. l. 1. c. 5. omnes unus Deus singulus horum plena substantia simul omnes una substantia Every Person is God and all are one God Every one is perfect God and all together are but one God And again Singula sunt in singulis omnia in singulis singula in omnibus Id. de Trin. lib. 6. c. 10. omnia in omnibus unum omnia Every one is in every one and all in every one and every one in all and all in all and One is all Hence it is that every Person may be prayed unto and glorified as in Scripture the Seraphims crie Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. 3. Rev. 4. 8. and the Christian Church both ancient and modern in her Doxologies used to glorifie the three Persons alike Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui and in her prayers invoked all and in her Creeds confessed all CHAP. XVI The Godhead of Christ shewed from the adoration of his Person and how God is to be worshipped being incarnate IF it be again demanded how we can perform Divine adoration to Jesus in the Temple of his Body being now God Incarnate except at the same time we adore a creature because his Body still is a creature for though it be indeed the Body of God yet nevertheless it is a body and therefore a creature Or shall we therefore adore his Body because it is the Temple wherein God dwelleth If so then as Athanasius Ath. de incar n. 22. objecteth Adora quoque Sanctos ob Deum inhabitantem By that reason you may worship the Saints on earth because their Bodies are the Temple of God and God is in them and then why should we not worship the Sun and Moon and other creatures as well for God is in them because he is every where The Manichees worshipped the Sun because they thought the Aug. Cont. Faust l 20. c. 2. Son of God was there For answer hereunto we are to understand that God is in another manner existent in holy men and other creatures then he is existent in the humane nature of Christ as is shewed before chap 8 For the Godhead and Manhood in Christ are one Person but not so in other creatures God dwelleth in a Saint 1 Iohn 4. 16. yet you cannot say that God and the Saint are one person for if so then that Saint must be called God and should be worshipped as God but we profess Hier. cont Vigil n. 17. with Saint Hierome that we are so far from worshipping a Saint or a martyr that we will not worship an Angell or an archangel nor Cherubim nor Seraphim but neither do we refuse to worship God though he be invested with his humane nature his humiliation by taking the form of a servant upon him doth not ungod him neither can we separate his Godhead from his manhood that so we might worship the pure Godhead alone Fidelis veneratur Domiâ—um in corpore latentem saith Athanasius the faithfull worship Ath. 26. n. Theod dial in conf n. 12. God though veiled in his body as we may perform civil worship to our King though he be clad in vulgar apparell yet not worship his apparel and No man will say to the King First put off thy Robe and Crown Epiph. in Anc. n. 27. o King and then I will do obeysance to thee and if the King should put off his Robe yet none would worship the Robe So no man can say to Christ Lay aside thy Body and then I will adore thee but we adore God in Christ although God be there united unseparably with his body and if we could separate his body really from his Godhead we should not worship it alone because it is a creature and this also is the determination of Athanasius Quis
tam vecors est ut ita loquatur Absiste à corpore ut te adorem oec who is so foolish Ath. cont Arian or 5. n. 4. as to say to God lay aside thy Body that I may worship thee or who can shew us his body emptied of his Godhead Therefore albeit we do not adore his Body as the Vtimate and uttermost object of our adoration yet we resuse not to worship our God with his body Concomitant for St. Thomas when he saw Christs body and touched his wounds yet he said My Lord and my God Ioh. 20. 28. The women held him by the feet yet worshipped him Maith 28. 9. The Psalmist saith Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his Footstool Psalme 99. 5. What is meant by his Foostoole St. Chrysostome tells us The earth is his Footstoole Isa 66. 1. Because the Body of Christ was Chrys ser de Trin. n. 57. from Adam and Adam from the earth and this body is united to God therefore our God though in it is to be adored Some men are offended when they see a man worship his God if his face betowards the East or Communion-table suspecting that the worship is done to the Table or to the East though they are told it is done to God onely as also if in time of divine service a man bow his knee to Jesus when that name is named some will say the bowing is done to a sound a word or letters just so the heathens said that the Christians worshipped the Sun because they assembled on the Sunday and because they used to adore God with their faces turned toward the East as Tertullian saith and some also said that Christians worshipped Tert. apol c. 16. n. 4. Bacchus and Ceres that is Bread and Wine because at receiving of the Sacrament they used a reverend adoration of God as we read in St. Austin yet these slanders did not deter the Christians from their Aug. cont Faust l. 20. c. 13. usuall discipline But these Brethren would think as I suppose that themselves were much wronged if a man should tell them that they worship a Chaire a Form or Table because when they pray they kneel before some of these When God appeared to Abraham Abraham bowed himself toward the ground Gen. 18. 2. Will any man say that Abraham worshipped the earth No saith St. Ambrose Non terram sed Iesum nascitu um è terra resurrecturum he worshipped Amb. de Abrah l. 2. n. 13. not the earth but Jesus who afterwards was to be incarnate and to rise again out of the earth The worship of Jesns is the adoration of his divine person in heaven and not of a name or word and this adoration and genuflection is of a higher consequence and greater weight then some Christians are aware of as will appear by that which followes CHAP. XVII That genuflection to our Lord Jesus was apointed onely to be as an acknowledgment of his God-Head Because the great work of mans redemption is founded upon the Godhead of Jesus and that the denying or disbelieving that doctrine is a certain mark and character of unpardonablenesse therefore good Christian Reader consider with thy self what a charitable and prudent care this Church of England had of thy soules health when to keep thee in a perpetuall memorie thereof and a continuall confession of this great and weighty truth she required that when the Lord Iesus shall be mentioned in time of divine service lowly reverenâ—e be done the reason alleadged by that Canon is of the greatest concernment that can Canon 18. be imagined Testifying their due acknowledgment that the Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 and eternall Son of God is the only Saviour of the world in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully and wholly comprised by which words it is apparent that the principall intent of that Canon was for the acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus to be the true and eternall Son of God and thy redeemer which is that necessary doctrine which I have endeavoured all this while to set forth and this is the very same reason that is alleadged on those Scriptures where the bowing to Jesus Christ is mentioned For when it is said of Christ Rom. 14. 10 11. Every knee shall bow to me the reason followes immediately Every tongue shall confesse to God that is that every one shall acknowledge adoration due to this our God And so again where it is said Phil. 2. 10. At the name of Iesus every knee should bow the reason followes verse 11. That every â—ongue should confesse that I sus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father to signifie that therefore bowing to Jesus Christ is required that by it he might be acknowledged to be the Lord and certainly therefore onely did the Church of England require this adoâ—ation adoâ—atâ—on of Jesus to have a perpetuall and solemne confession thereby of his Godhead yet our Commenter will not confesse Jesus to be God though he do confesse that Divine râ—verence is commanded â—o be given to Christ by bowiug c. in the sâ—mâ— manner Page 7. that is due to God himself in this the Commenter doth fully agâ—e with the practice of the old Arians who were therefore blame by Athâ—nâ—sius because they performed religious adoration to Jesus as the Catholick Atha cont Arian Or 1. n. 4. Church did but yet â—hey would not confesse him to be God and so in effect they did serve him whom they thought to be but a creature and therein differed not from Heathens and so St. Basil a gueth both agaâ—â—st the Sahellians and Arians out of the Church Câ—â—ed to â—f the Son and the Holy Ghost be but creatures Cur Basil cont Sabel Ar. ho. 27 n. 17. non dicimus â—redo in Deum in univâ—râ—am creaâ—uram Nam si pium est â—n porâ—ionâ—m creâ—tuâ—ae crâ—dâ—re multò magis in â—â—tam Why do we not say in our Creed I believe in God and the woâ—ld for if the Son be but a part of the world and a câ—â—atuâ—e it is far better to believe in the whole creature thâ—n in one part of it And this also was obseâ—ved in the Arians Amb. de fil divin c. 3. n. 26. by St Ambrose that they did not adore Jesus because they thought him to be God but Virâ—ute praeâ—epti only because they belâ—eved that such an adoration was injoyned Philip. 2. 10. their colour for it was because the honour of genuflection is there said to be given to Iesus by Gâ—d veâ—se 9. and so they would Amb. Hexam l. 6. c. 9. have it due to him onely by gift and not by nature indeed Saint Ambrose saith that the honour of genuflection was the gift of the Father to the on just as the Scâ—ipture saith but Saint Bâ—sil doth fully shew the meaning of that Scripture God
notes and the grand Heresie of Apollinarius applied this errour to Christ himself in saying that Christ had no reasonable or humane soul as other men have but that his Divine Nature was in steed of an humane soul and supplied all the Offices thereof in the body of Epiph. haer 77. Aug. n. 88. Soc. l. 2. c. 36. Christ as we reade in Epiphanius and in the Ecclesistick Histories and in S. Austine CHAP. XIII Of the Originall of Christs humane soul whether it were derived by Propagation from his Progenitors as his body was THe mention of that Heresie of Apollinarius leads me to a new quaere not yet discoursed but yet as I conceive very usefull and pertinent to the setting forth of this great Mystery of the Incarnation of God and Mans Redemption if it could be clearly determined and this it is That seeing the Christian World Catholick hath ever confessed that the Son of God received his flesh and blood by propagation from the first Adam It would be now inquired whence the same Son of God had his reasonable or humane Soul The reason which moved me to make this inquiry is taken from the Arguments which divers of the Fathers used against some Hereticks particularly against Valentinus and his Gnostick followers and against the Manichees and Eutyches for these taught that Christ did not receive his Body by traduction from the Virgine Mother and so not from Adam but that it was either from heaven or else that it was a mere apparition and a phantasticall body which Heresies are so well known to men learned that I shall not need to send the Reader by Quotations to Fathers to finde them The Arguments which the Father 's used against those Hereticks were to this purpose that they might shew a necessity that the Redeemer must needs take his flesh from Adam First Saint Augustine saith Omnis massa Adami Aug De 〈◊〉 cum Felic l. â—â— c. 11. maledicta est Dominus carnem de illa suscepit hinc maledictus dicitur i. Because the whole lump of Adam was accursed therefore the Son of God taking the curse upon himself must needs take flesh from Adâ—m for otherwise how could he take the cuâ—se upon himself to cure mankind And Theoâ—â—â—â— asketh this question Theod. dial 1. n. 12. Why was not Châ—ists Body made of Earth as Adams was And he returned this answer 〈…〉 Creature servaretur quae perieâ—a i. That Christ might save the same creature which was lost therefore he took the same creature upon himself and Athanasiâ—â—s Atha Epist ad Epicter n. 3. strictly examining how mans curse could be fastned on our blessed Saviour answereth thus Christus sic pro nobis execratio factus est sicuâ— factus est caâ—o i. He took our curse as he took our flesh and Saint Basil saith expressely that the Heresie of Valentinus did nullifie Mans redemption for if the flesh of Christ were not derived from Adam Non occâ—dâ—sset Basil Epist 65. n. 37. peccatum in carnâ— i. Christ had not destroyed sin in the flesh and upon this very gâ—ound Diosâ—urus the Bishop of Alexandria and Euâ—yches the Monk were condemned by the Councill of Chalcedon as Euagrius Euag. l 2. c. 18. writeth The self same kind of Argument doth Naziarzâ—n use against Apollinarius who taught that Christ had no humane or reasonable soul as is said before Naz. ad Cledon Orat. 51. but that he took onely flesh from Adam Deus assumâ—sit id quod salute indigebat c. i. God took of Man all that which stood in need of salvation and therefore he took the humane soul also For that fell and needed help as well as the Body For if Christ had taken from Man onely his flesh and not his Soul he had done as if a Man that hath a fore foot and a fore eye should apply a Medicine onely to the foot and neglect the eye besides Christ took the whole and perfect Man upon him but the Godhead with a Body onely is not perfect Man as neither could it be perfect man if it were joyned with an humane Soul without a Body But if you say that God could have saved man though he had never taken an humane soul so may you as well say God could have saved man though he had not assumed a Body Thus far Naziaâ—zen From this discourse I may upon the same grounds infer That if Christ must needs take his Body from man because otherwise he could not destroy sin in the flesh It will follow by the like Argument that Christ must needs take his humane soul by traduction from man for otherwise how could he destroy sin in the soul and then though the body might be saved yet the soul having no medicine applied to it must needs undergo the sentence Ezech. 18. 4. The soul that sinnâ—th iâ— shall diâ— For the soul and body of man are two distinct natures although joyned in one person just so as the Godhead and Manhood in Christ are Thus for ought I can yet see the same reasons that induce us to believe that the flesh of Christ was propagated from the first man may as well prove that his soul must also be so transmitted throughout all Generations to Christ Furthermore because in Scripture phrase the natural soul of Man goes under the notion of Carnall as well as his Natural body for 1 Cor. 2. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a carnall man the very soul not regenerate is carnall I do not peâ—ceive how the Incarnation of God can be compleat but by his assuming both soul and body from man for otherwiâ—e how can we say that he tooke the whole man upon him the denying whereof was by the Church judged an Heresie in the Apollinarians For they would not confess Christ to Naz. ad Cledon orat 5â— be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est A perfect man having God in him but they called Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idest God bearing flesh onely and this because they believed not that Christ took our humane soul but onely that he took our flesh and therefore the Apolinarian is by Nazianzen called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est One that worshipped a God that had assumed nothing but flesh And the Apollinarian in derision said that the Catholick was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. one who worshipped a man Now although the Church of England doth not expresly declare the propagation of the Soule of Christ from the Virgine Mother yet the second Article of Religion something implicite seemeth rather to incline thereunto for it saith First The Word tooke Mans nature in the wombe 1. Artic. 2. of the blessed Virgine of her substance so that two whole and perfect Natures that is to say The Godhead and Manhood were joyned in one Person c. If the meaning be that Christ took perfect Manhood from his Mother it must needs follow that he took both Body and soul
of her for neither of them severally can be called perfect Man and Master Rogers in his notes upon that Article tells us that it was one of the Arrian errours who said That Christ took â—tha de Incarn n. 22. onely flesh of the Virgine but not the Soul and that some Arrians did indeed so say is affirmed by Athanasius Finally if it can clearly appeare that the Sonne of God did indeed take both his flesh and also his humain Soule by Propagation from Man it will be a great consolation to Mankinde that the great God of Heaven and Earth would vouchsafe to be so compleatly near of kindred to us his poore creatures and hereby also a perfect and compleat Incarnation of God will be proved against this Commenter CHAP. XIV The question of the Soules propagation left undetermined by Saint Augustine yet he thought it more probable that our soules are propagated from our Parents I Will not presume good Reader to determine this great question because that I find that the most profound Doctors of the Primitive Church and after very great and diligent discussion yet left it dubitable as may appear by the Epistles which passed mutually between Saint Hierome and Saint Augustine concerning this very question which neither of them would absolutely determine and conclude either for the Soule of Christ or the Souls of other men for that the Originall of the Soule of Christ was surely the same with the Originall of other mens souls since our first Parents and both alike obscure and hard to be understood Onely I will truely relate what hath been thought and said of it especially out of Saint Augustine who saith utrum origo animarum Aug. n. 7. n. 18. n. 44. sit ex uno illo Adam an semper fiant singulae siâ—gulis adhuc nescio adhuc incertum i. whether the souls of all men came from Adam or whether new souls for severall men be dayly created as yet I know not and it is uncertain And again Nunquam ausus sum definitam proferre Id. Epist 175. Id. Epist 120. sententiam i. I never durst venture upon a definitive sentence thereof and concludeth Satius est ortum animae semper quaerere quam invenisse praesumere i. It is safer to be alwayes seeking then to presume that we have found it And a great while after he said Ego adhuc inter utrosque ambigo vincant qui poterant i. Id. de Gen. ad lit l. 10. c. 22. I am still doubtfull between those two opinions prove either who can And although he confesseth in the same book that he would be more willing to acknowledge that Christ had not his soul from Adam yet saith he the other opinion that men receive their souls from their Parents doth preponderate and turn the scale of my judgement The same Father for the probability of propagation of souls from Adam alledgeth many reasons For first writing to Saint Hierome Tell me saith Id Epist 28. he if Soules are doyly created and not transmitted from the Parents wherein have poore Infants sinned and how are they involved in the sins of Adam or their Parents so that they need the Sacrament of remission of sins But secondly If it be said that our soules are indeed derived from the soul of Adam then who can say I have not sinned seeing the Originall soul of Adam sinned Thirdly It was the Argument which Pelagius used If the soul be not propagated as well as the body then onely the bodies of Infants are liable to the punishment for Originall sinne for it may seem very hard measure that so ancient a sinne should be laid to the charge of a soul newly created and but one day old Fourthly when the woman was made out of the body of Man It is not said that God breathed into her nostrils the breath of life as it was said of the man Gen. 2. 7. Perhaps to intimate that her soul was derived with het body from the man Fifthly Saint Augustine confessed that to say that soules are dayly created seeing God finished the Creation the sixth day will seeme a violent speech Sixthly it is said Romans 5. 18. By the offence of Aug. de Gen. ad lit lib. 10. c. 11. one judgement came upon all to condemnation â— Now because onely the soul sinneth for the body is but the souls instrument how can the soul that was not created till so many generations from Adam are passed be said to sin in Adam for what evill hath the soul of a young dying infant committed if his soul were not derived from Adam Lastly he granteth Non absurde â—reditur â—animas è Id. ibid. traduce â—sse â—id est It is no inconvenience to our Christian Faith to say the souls of men are propagated from the first man For it was indeed anciently received by Christians as a Truth long before Saint Augustines time as we finde in Terâ—ullian who saith Tert. de anima c. 27. expresly that Our souls came from Adam and again he saith in the same Book Omnis anima censetur in Adamo donec in Christo recensâ—atur id est Every Id. ib. c. 40. soul is first câ—nsed or inrolled in Adam untill they be new enrolled and accounted in Christ And Saint Hierome avoucheth this to be the opinion Hier. Epist ad Marcel apud Aug. Epist 27 not onely of Terâ—ulliâ—n but also that the greater part of the Western Churches were of the same minde that as our bodies are derived fâ—om the bodies of our Parents so our souls are propagated from their souls Even as millions of Taâ—ers may be tinded or lighted at one burning Taper and as all the Stars of Heaven receive their light from the Sunne yet neither the light of that one Taper or of the Sunne are any thing diminished So although the manner how our souls are propagated be inestable yet De facto that they are propagated is no way incredible For why not the souls of Men as well as the souls of Beasts and why may not the humane soul extend it self into the childe in the wombe as well as it doth inlarge it self in a greater distance into other parts of the body as the body from its birth waxeth bigger from one cubite length of the Infant to foure Cubites at our full growth and this Doctrine of the Soules propâ—gation seemeth to stand with a great deall of equitie in our mercifull and most iust Redeemer that as he would redeem our bodies by his owne body taken from man so to redeem our soules by his soul so taken and propagated from man And this seemeth to be the Opinion of Athanasius Atha de incarnat n. 23. Corpus Chisti pro corpore nostro anima â—jus pro nostra integer homo pro integro homine in Redemptione rependitur id est The Body of Christ was given for our bodies and his Soule for our Soules and his whole Man for